Sat waiting for my class to start this morning I began pondering why I had chosen to write as my second career. My first career choice is as a Deputy Head Teacher for young people, excluded from school. The first thing that strikes me is that writing is the extreme opposite of what I do every day. Writing is a very solitary process. In contrast, working in a school means I am surrounded by people and voices. Makes for some great material to use in my writing as well.
I can’t remember when exactly I got the idea I wanted to write a book. It seems to have been an ambition of mine for as long as I can remember. From early teens I wrote a diary, a practice I have continued throughout my life. I now call it a journal to sound more mature. Whilst I was qualifying, my writing ignored, put on the shelf for many years. Now it is dusted off and is an activity which takes up as many hours as I can every week.
Here are the 10 reasons that I write:
- I write because I enjoy it, whether I am published or not, I love sharing my views with others.
- I write to improve my craft. It is true the more you write the better you get.
- A small egotistical part of me wants to leave something in this world when I am gone. A published book will stay available after you leave the planet, for a while at least.
- I like to share my ideas with others. The teacher in me wants to help people, wherever I can. If similar people are not making the mistakes I have, then I know I have accomplished something.
- I need to transfer the hundreds of ideas I have had in my head for ages to paper.
- As an avid reader, I gain a great deal of enjoyment and relaxation from reading. I would like others to gain this from something I have written.
- I want to master the process of transferring the ideas from my head onto paper in a structure I am happy with. Stories always sound much better in my head than on paper.
- I want to build a network of people that I can share ideas with and ask advice from.
- I would like to supplement my income to allow me to spend more time at home with my little girl.
- I need to challenge myself to see if I can succeed at writing.
What is your motivation for writing?
